Careers in Alternatives: Q&A with Apex Group

Three female leaders at Apex Group share their perspectives on building successful careers in alternatives, from advancing professional growth, important qualities to have, to creating diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Read on for helpful insights about becoming successful in the private markets.

Ashmita Chhabra
Managing Director, Business Development, Southeast Asia

What are some of the ways to start building a career in the alternatives industry?

What a time to build a career in alternatives. We now have an abundance and variety of roles and opportunities available to help newcomers build a successful career in this industry. 

Formal academic streams build foundations and allow you to explore your chosen career path. Niche qualifications are readily available, CAIA, CFA, Investment Analyst to name a few. Some investors have come up with their own courses and exams as a pre-condition to licensing. We are seeing more and more focused modules driven by the industry, all designed to advance your career growth. However, internships, informal trainings, and gaining relevant experience on the job are all invaluable in discovering what's actually involved in the job. 

A good combination of academic qualifications along with on-the-job experience builds a good foundation for professionals in the alternatives industry. With asset classes and strategies constantly evolving, academic courses have been changing too. We now see courses that focus on AI, sustainable investment, along with more traditional assets. Therefore, there are plenty of areas to explore!

“A good combination of academic qualifications along with on-the-job experience builds a good foundation for professionals in the alternatives industry.”

You may have an opportunity to work at an investment bank as an intern, which is great if it brings you the right experience. You are also likely to learn well in a niche, entrepreneurial or mid-sized firm, which might allow exposure across departments and a more holistic understanding of the business. You could be working in the research department helping with first-tier research, in the middle office team with the deals team, or getting experience supporting the business owners, in client and investor facing roles. You are likely to learn a lot more in the latter firms, and start building a career which is authentic to you.

Job providers look at your experience, your responsibilities and achievements, rather than just the company where you got that experience. However, like in any finance career, professionals should have grit, passion, and a well-rounded skillset to set themselves apart.

“However, like in any finance career, professionals should have grit, passion, and a well-rounded skillset to set themselves apart.”

Claudia Bolanos
Head of Corporate Services, Asia Pacific

What skills and qualities can help a person become successful in alternatives?

I believe that people who are curious, constantly search for answers and new ways of doing things achieve better results. Those who break the status quo and are not afraid to ask questions, are also not just successful in their field, they are fun people to work with too.

Curiosity and authenticity are two great qualities to have. For me, quality number one is always, always, always, staying true to yourself. In finance, when the environment is competitive, and complex, keeping true to who you are and what you believe in, and always being honest, is key.

“In finance, when the environment is competitive, and complex, keeping true to who you are and what you believe in, and always being honest, is key.”

People will see through you if you are not being sincere. Being yourself and using your inherent skills will help to create an easier path to success. Work on those to become stronger and more successful.

Each one of us is unique and we must embrace who we are. Our individual backgrounds give us unique perspectives. We all carry unique life experiences which we should feel comfortable bringing into the workplace in a constructive way. Whether you are senior, and bringing more experience, or more junior and bringing a fresh perspective, we should challenge the bias and stop thinking we must change to fit in, to be one of them. Stay curious. Stay proud. And stay yourself.

Valérie Mantot-Groene
Regional Managing Director, Asia Pacific

How can we contribute to improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

There are a variety of ways to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The ways to do it always depend on the firm’s employees and their backgrounds, experience, personalities, and even cultures within a workplace.

How do we define D&I? That is the first questions organisations must ask themselves. Once you have an understanding of what diversity and inclusion means for you or for your organization, you can begin to take steps towards making a change. Some ways to actively make a positive difference include:

1. Mentorship - this is one of the most efficient ways to improve and encourage diversity and inclusion, because it provides an opportunity for less experienced employees from different backgrounds to learn from more experienced team members, who are also from different backgrounds.

2. Setting clear corporate policies around diversity - this could be equal or parity remuneration, or policies around representation on some committees for example, to make sure there are equal numbers of women and men on these committees.

3. Appointing ambassadors – by having ambassadors and empowering them with the responsibility of raising awareness about diversity and inclusion, companies can share policies, initiatives, and successes more widely with their employees.

In the end, it is about a personal commitment – I always say the best contribution to diversity and inclusion is to be a reflection of it yourself. Any change will only come, if it’s a change that you yourself, are being an ambassador of.

“It is all about a personal commitment – the best contribution to diversity and inclusion is to be a reflection of it yourself.”

Apex Group provides a single-source solution which delivers an extensive range of services across the full value chain, to asset managers, capital markets, corporates and family offices. Apex has continually improved and evolved their capabilities to offer the broadest range of services in the industry; including fund services, digital onboarding and bank accounts, depositary, custody, super ManCo services, business services including HR and Payroll and a pioneering ESG Ratings and Advisory services for private markets. These services are tailored to each client and delivered at both a Group level and via specialist subsidiary brands.